Key-board attachment for musical instruments



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-S heet 1. H. RICHARDS. KEY BOARD ATTAGHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 364,041. b PatenteQ May 31, 1887.

INVENTOR:

4.45% I r I i H ATTORNEYS; I

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Shet 2.

H. RICHARDS.

KEY-BOARD ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 364,041. PatentedMay 31, 1887 Q WITNESSES N. PETERS, Puolu-Lilhogmpher, Wasllmgmn, D. C. i

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIcE.

HENRY RICHARDS, or DECKER, INDIANA.

KEY-BOARD ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,041, dated May 31, 1887.

Application filed September 16, 1886. Serial No. 213,676. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY RICHARDS, of.

Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved attachment for musical instruments, such as pianos and organs.

The invention consists of a series of keys operating on the keys of the instrument and act uated by a belt having projections, of a frame supporting the keys and provided with means for adjusting the said keys, and of a device for moving the said belt.

The invention also consists of various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the'accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement. Fig. 2is a rear elevation of the-same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the line 00 as of Fig. 1; and Fig.6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line y y of Fig. 1.

The key-frame A is attached to the bottom bar, 13, which rests on the front board, 0, of the piano or organ, and is held on the same byan adjustable angular bar, D, having the setscrews E, which are screwed up against the underside of the said board (3. On the frame A are mounted two rows of keys, F, placed one above the other, of which the upper keys actuate the black keys G of the organ or piano, while the lower keys operate on the white keys G.

The screws E are arranged one in front of the other on the horizontal or lower arm of the bar D, so that by tightening the screw at the left of Fig. 4 the fingers 1-1 will be brought nearer to the organ=keys or in contact therewith, and by loosening said left-hand screws and tightening the righthand screws the fingers will be raised from the organ keys. By this construction the screws E E serve to hold the attachment to the organ, and also as the the means by which the operating-fingers H are regulated relatively to the organ-keys.

Each of the keys F is provided with a shaft, H, having its bearing in the rear in the bar A of the frame A, and the front of the shaft H is supported by a plate, I, adjustable on the bar A of the said frame A. On theinner end of each shaft 1-1 is secured a finger-arm, H, provided on its lower end with an elastic tip, H and to the front end of each shaftH is attached a downwardly-projecting arm, H which engages, withits lower end, the raised projections J, attached to the belt J, which is placed and moves on the table K, hinged to the bar 13, and held'in a level position by the clamps L, pivoted to the main frame A.

To the under side of the table K, near one end, is pivoted the lever M, provided on its inner end with the rubber bumper N, resting against the under side of the table K, and on the outer end of the lever M is mounted a rubber roller, 0, above which is placed a similar roller, P, mounted in the frame A and pro vided on one end with a gear-wheel, Q, which meshes into the pinion It, attached to the shaft S, mounted in the front of the'frame A, and having a crank-arm, T, on its outer end.

The bar A of the frame A runs diagonally across the top of the table K, so that the arms 11 of the keys F are in contact with the belt J at different points in the width of said belt. Each of the arms H operates between two stoppins, H. Y

The operation is as follows: The frame Ais fastened to the front of the organ by means of the angular bar D and its screw E, as above described, and illustratedin Fig. 4. The pivoted clamps L are then, disengaged from the hinged table K, so that the latter can be swung downward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and the belt or chart J is then placed on the table K so that its front end rests between the rubber rollers O and P. The table K is then swung upward againto its former position and locked by the clamps L in a level position. When the operator now turns the crank-arm T, the belt or chart J is moved forward in the direction of the arrow a by the rotation of the rubber rollers O and I, between which the belt passes. The raised projections J are brought in contact, on the forward movement IOO of the belt J with the lower ends of the arms H, which causes the shaft H to be turned, whereby the finger-arms H are swung downward and pressed on the respective keys of the organ, thus producing the sound of the keys. As soon as aprojection J has left an arm H the key F is returned to its former po sition by the return or upward movement of the spring-key G or G of the organ. The projections J on the belt J are so arrangedthat when the latter is moving over the table K and operating the different keys F, as above described, a harmonious piece of music is performed on the organ.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an organ attachment, the combination of the keys F, each consisting of a shaft, II, having arms H and finger-arms H, with the hinged table K and the rollers O and P, for moving the belt J, substantially as shown and described.

2. I11 an organ attachment, the combination of the frame A, having the diagonal bar A with the shafts II, the depending finger-arms H at the inner ends of said shafts, acting directly on the organ-keys and having the rubber tips IF at the outer ends of the shafts,and the arms H, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an organ attachment, the frame A, having a diagonal bar, A, and the adj ustable base I on the said bar A with the shafts H, each provided with a finger-arm, 11, having a flexible tip, IF, and the arm H substantially as shown and described.

l. In an organ attachment, the main frame A, the keys F, mounted on the said frame, and the clamps L, pivoted on the said frame, in

combination with the hinged table K, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an organ attachment, the main frame A, the keys F, mounted on the said frame, the clamps L, pivoted on the said frame, and the table K,hinged to the frame A, in combination with the rollers O and I, for moving the belt or chart J, having the projections J, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an organ attachment, the main frame A, the keys F, and the downwardswinglng table K, in combination with the rollers O and P, the gearwheel Q, the pinion It, mounted on the shaft S, and the crank-arm T, for operating the said rollers O and I, substantially as shown and described.

7. In an organ attachment, the main frame- A, the keys F, mounted on the said frame, the table K, and means for moving the belt J, having the projections J, on the said table K, in combination with the angular bar D and the setscrews E, one in front of the other, on the lower or horizontal arm of the said bar, for adjusting the frame-keys to. the orgairkeys, and also for attaching "the main frame to the instrument, substantially as shown and described.

8. In an organ attachment, the moving belt or chart J, having the projections J, in combination with the arms 11, operating on the said projections J, the shafts II, carrying the said arms H", and the finger-arms I-l, fastened to the said shafts'H and carrying rubber tips H which operate on the keys of the instru ment, substantially as shown and described.

AARON G. JORDAN, OIIAR'LEY l). COURTRIGUT. 

